Israel will stick to its refusal to apologize to Turkey for killing nine of its citizens aboard a Gaza-bound ship, anofficial said on Wednesday, dampening any prospects for reconciliation between the former allies.

The decision, which the official said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu conveyed to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a telephone call, was made days before the publication of the findings of a UN inquiry into the seizure of the Mavi Marmara last year.